Top Ten Tuesday -- New to Me Authors 2013 Class

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join.  If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

I love finding new-to-me authors each year.  Of course, their back catalogs always make my TBR list even longer, but it's worth it to discover great talent.  I only found six authors to highlight, but they are good ones...

1. Neil Gaiman -- Okay, okay, not really new to me in 2013.  But this past year, I really came to appreciate his writing.  I can't wait to read everything else he has ever written.
2. Sarah Addison Allen -- I love her magical realism...  Need to read the rest of her books.
3. Justin Cronin -- The Passage was amazingly terrifying.  I really need to read The Twelve.
4. Colleen Gleason -- I really really enjoyed the Victoria Gardella series.  I finally downloaded the first in the next related series.  Can't wait to read it!
5. Laurie R. King -- A book club friend recommended her mystery series and I really liked it.  We also saw the author speak at the local library (she's based in the Bay Area).
6. George R.R. Martin -- I finally jumped on the band wagon and made it through the first three books.  I plan on reading the fourth in the Song of Fire and Ice in January.

Top Ten Tuesday -- 2012 New-to-Me Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We’d love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join.  If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

I read a ton of New-to-Me authors this year.  Here's my 10 highlights:

1. Mira Grant -- I thoroughly enjoyed Grant's Newsflesh trilogy.   I can't wait to see what else I could read from this author.

2. Rhiannon Frater -- Another great zombie trilogy.  I've been seeing a huge bunch of rave reviews for Frater's other books.  I must check them out.

3. Madeleine Roux -- I'm sensing a trend of great zombie authors...  Anyway, loved these two companion novels.

4. Libba Bray -- The Gemma Doyle trilogy was great.  Looking forward to other books.

5. Philip Pullman -- Very layered books

6. Mike Mullin -- Scared the crap out of me.

7. Kendare Blake -- Another scary book.  I really want to read the sequel.

8. Carlos Ruiz Zafon -- The Shadow of the Wind was a great love letter to books and literature.

9. Robin McKinley -- Sunshine was so beautiful, I'm kind of afraid to read her other books for fear that they won't live up to it.

10. Lev Grossman -- The Magicians was very complex and interesting.

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I Would DIE to Meet

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists

Great topic today... So many choices, but I think I've narrowed it down to 10 good ones.

1. Jane Austen -- Duh!  How could my list be complete without the wonderful Ms. Austen?  I must meet.  I would love talking to her about her feelings about society and relationships and England and politics.  So much history.  So much interesting opinions.  She would be the ultimate author meet and greet.

2. Anne Rice -- My favorite author from my high school days.  I read the entire Vampire Chronicles series.  I reviled in her world.  I want to go to New Orleans and map out the books.  I loved Anne Rice.  I still hold a small place in my heart for her books.

3. Thomas Jefferson -- Strange choice?  Not if you're a U.S. history teacher.  I love teaching about the founding of our country.  I love documenting the struggles between Jefferson and John Adams and Alexander Hamilton and George Washington and Aaron Burr and all the others.  I would love to ask Jefferson all about his writing of the Declaration of Independence and his thoughts on the Constitution.

4. Diana Gabaldon -- The Outlander series is just amazing.  I'm planning on reading the entire series in the coming month.  It would be lovely to meet her and talk about her research into Scotland to make the books.  Yep history nerd emerges!

5. David Moody --  The Autumn series is just so disturbing, in a good zombie way.  I would love to pick his brain as to the inspirations and process.  How does someone go about writing a serious modern zombie novel?

6. Neil Gaiman -- He's just an amazing storyteller, who wouldn't want to meet him?  I sure would like to.

7. Carrie Ryan -- I really got into her zombie series.  I read most of her blog, documenting her writing process, triumphs, and struggles.  I would love to talk to her about all of it.  Reading someone's blog isn't quite the same as having a conversation with them.

8. Edgar Allen Poe --  The father of American horror.  He scared and intrigued me as a child.  He's just demented enough that he would be interesting to talk to.

9. Katie MacAlister --  Her modern paranormal and contemporary romances are so much fun.  I would love to hear about her influences and writing process.

10. Bill Willingham --    Because the Fables series is just so amazing...